Japan's Despair 28 Years Ago, Korea's Anxiety Today... 'Princess Mononoke' Still Resonates with Youth [Slate]

Japanese Youth After the Bubble, Korean Youth in the Era of Low Growth
Watching the Same Film 28 Years Apart
The Unchanged Question: "How Should We Live?"

Animation Movie 'Princess Mononoke' Still Cut

Director Hayao Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke" continues to resonate powerfully even 28 years after its release. The film was recently re-released and ranked ninth at the box office in September, attracting 169,708 viewers, with the main audience being people in their 20s. What does it mean that today's young people are seeking out this movie?

Most viewers interpret the film as a message about environmental protection and reverence for nature. However, its true meaning lies elsewhere. While Miyazaki depicts the conflict between nature and civilization, he also weaves in the economic recession of 1990s Japanese society, the frustration of the younger generation, and the fragmentation of the community. These anxieties now cast a shadow over South Korea in 2025 as well.

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Japan After the Bubble Burst: The Desperate Command to 'Live'

"Princess Mononoke" was released in Japan in July 1997. At that time, Japan had been mired in a prolonged recession for six years following the 1991 bubble burst. The economic growth rate, which had recovered to 3.1% in 1996, plummeted back into negative territory amid the Asian financial crisis. The lifetime employment system collapsed, and the number of non-regular workers surged. Highly educated young people, who had enjoyed prosperous childhoods, found themselves falling into economic poverty.

In this era, the film's catchphrase, "Live (生きろ)," was more than just a saying. For those forced to endure uncertainty, it felt like a desperate command. Miyazaki spent 16 years conceptualizing and three years producing the film, investing 24 billion won. The result was explosive: 14.2 million people watched it in Japan alone, generating 207 billion yen in revenue. The movie was screened for a full year, setting the record for the longest theatrical run in Japanese cinema history. Until "Titanic" was released in December 1997, it was the highest-grossing film in Japanese box office history. In a 1998 interview, director Takeshi Kitano remarked, "The only Japanese movie young people in Japan have seen these days is 'Princess Mononoke.'"

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Youth on the Margins, Conflicts Without Good or Evil, Irreconcilable Divides

The protagonist, Ashitaka, is from the Emishi tribe, a group excluded from mainstream Japanese society. He symbolizes the conflict between the center and the periphery, between power and marginalization. In the 1990s, Japanese youth were pushed to the margins under the shadow of the Dankai generation-the baby boomers born between 1947 and 1949-who had driven the economic boom. When these young people tried to enter society, every door was already closed to them.

In the film, San, who protects the forest; Lady Eboshi, who leads Tatara Village; and Ashitaka, who acts as a mediator, all have their own justifications. Miyazaki refuses to define any side as absolutely good or evil. Lady Eboshi is a female leader who provides jobs for leprosy patients and former prostitutes, but she also destroys the forest. San protects the forest but is filled with hatred toward humans. The Forest Spirit (Shishigami) both gives and takes life.

The ending does not bring complete reconciliation but settles into a temporary balance. The Forest Spirit dies, but the forest is revived. Ashitaka and San return to their respective worlds. "I like you, but I cannot forgive humans." "That's all right. You live in the forest. I will live in Tatara Village. Let's live together." These lines leave open the possibility of compromise and coexistence, but also show that the conflict remains fundamentally unresolved. It is a metaphor for the discord and fractures facing Japanese society.

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South Korea in 2025: Repeating the Fractures

The reality in South Korea in 2025 is no different. Since 2023, the economic growth rate has dropped to the 1% range, signaling an entry into a low-growth structure. Last year, the youth unemployment rate (ages 15-29) was in the 6% range, with the real unemployment rate perceived to be much higher. There are concerns that, like Japan's "lost decade," these issues could be left unaddressed.

The crisis does not spare the natural environment. According to the "Korea Climate Crisis Assessment Report 2025," published last month by the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Meteorological Administration, warming on the Korean Peninsula is intensifying. Weather disasters such as heat waves and heavy rainfall are increasing, and are expected to become even more frequent and severe in the future. The number of heat-related illness cases more than doubled from an average of 1,709 per year between 2020 and 2023 to 3,704 last year.

The question of whether to prioritize economic growth or environmental preservation remains unresolved. The controversies over the Saemangeum reclamation project, the new airport on Gadeokdo, and the second airport in Jeju are evidence of this ongoing debate. Although ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management is a hot topic, the term "ESG fatigue" has also emerged. This mirrors the duality of Lady Eboshi, who protects the vulnerable while destroying nature, and the duality of the forest spirits, who embody both violence and vitality.

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The Unchanged Essence and Still-Relevant Questions

Director Miyazaki returned in October 2023 with "The Boy and the Heron." Released at the age of 82, this film is regarded as his most autobiographical work. Through the story of a boy who loses his mother during World War II, Miyazaki reflects on his own life and revisits the questions posed in "Princess Mononoke": How do we live in a world where conflict never disappears?

Miyazaki does not attempt to resolve conflicts or offer fantastical solutions. Instead, he presents the unavoidable tension of a world where we must coexist even as we clash.

The 14.2 million Japanese viewers in 1997 witnessed this in the midst of post-bubble anxiety. In 2025, Korean viewers in their 20s are watching the same film amid low growth and a climate crisis. Twenty-eight years have passed, but the questions remain unchanged, and the answers are still elusive. That is why "Princess Mononoke" is not a story of the past, but of the present. It is still relevant to us today.